The Meaning Of Family
by thelittleladybug53
Summary: Rosalina was too fast, too quick and knocked right into Luke, falling down faster than he could catch her. Her tried to reach for her and help her up but her posture quickly stiffened. Natalie caught Luke's eyes and could tell they were thinking the same thing. Stiffened like she was abused.


The Meaning Of Family

I'm gonna try somthing. I hope you like and enjoy it. :) Set after Step Up 2. Luke and Natalie.

*Family \ Hurt & Comfort*

*Rated M. {For Abuse and whatever I come up with for future chapters.}*

I could feel the tears falling down my face as it was buried into Luke's dark blue cotton shirt, could feel my tears soaking it through as he held me tight, could hear my heart pumping in my ears yet in the room there was no sound except for my sobs and Luke saying sweet nothings in my ear. I could feel nothing except for the despair, the sadness and the hopelessness as he tried to shh me and calm me down. But I just couldn't.

It had been going so well and after Luke and I came back from that film school and back to the pirates, He proposed. I was shocked and very excited. That was two months ago. It was hard to think that everything could go from so good, to so bad in a matter of what seemed like a small time. It wasn't because Luke and I had argued or something that could be fixed ... it was so much or than that. Let me explain : We wanted a family. And as soon as we had talked about it, I couldn't help but picture a cute little miniture Luke or Natalie running around. That was until I found out that _I. Couldn't. Have. Kids._

My mind was spinning and so was the room until I passed out right in the middle of the room that the doctor had me in. Can you blame me? All my dreams of having a family of my own were crashing down before my eyes into little pieces and it seemed that I was too slow to catch them. Like water, they slipped through my _fingers.. Was there something wrong with me? That_ question seemed to always come up and I didn't have the answer to that.. Was there? In all honesty, was there something wrong with me? Did I do anything wrong to deserve this?

"Natalie." Luke's voice was still in the comfort tones it always was when he spoke to me, "Sweetheart, We could always adopt."

That's fine and all, but don't men understand that even though we could adopt it still leaves me heartbroken that I can't have our own child?

I looked though the tears that were clouding my eyes to look at him, and I mean actually look at him. His face was alittle pale for his always olive skin tone that was the same shade as mine. His deep brown eyes, rimmed with alittle pink around them and could tell that he cried to, was still comforting and soothing as they always were with alittle touch of sadness that he was trying and failing to hide. His tight grip on me never wavered.

I was surprised to be honest. I thought he would leave me, so to speak, thinking what I was thinking ... _That something was wrong with me._

I could only being to imagine what I looked like. I snorted in my mind at the thought. My eyes bloodshot from tears. My hair a mess. Despair, sadness and hopelessness clouding and swirling in my brown eyes as I looked at him. I always wore my heart on my sleeve so to speak, I couldn't hide what I was feeling ever since I was young. Growing up I just learned to try and hide them better. Also, judging by the mess of tissues on the bed, it was hard to picture that I was more than just alittle upset.

I sniffled and choked back a sob, "R - Really?"

I had to ask not just to question it, but to know he woudn't leave me like I was dreading. I knew Luke. I knew him better than I knew myself at times. He's a nice guys who's kind and loyal and ... _Different. _But that doesn't change the fact that the fear is still there.

He frowned in sadness at me, and I don't know if it was because I felt the need to question him and not take what he said seriously or he had some type of mind reading BS like something you'd imagine a superhero would have, but nevertheless, he hugged me. Tightly and firm, yet gentle. I felt safe ... I couldn't explain it to you into much detail, and to tell you the truth ~ I didn't want to.

"Natalie." He whispered close to my ear, husky, "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it. No matter what," He looked at me in the eye, so intently, trying to reassure me. "It doesn't change how I feel about you. And I'm not leaving."

My posture slowly relaxed and I kissed him.

About an hour later, when all the evidence of crying was gone, Luke practicaly ly dragged me to the park. _Sweet, yet it was annoying. I wanted to think more in the privacy of my room. _But knowing Luke, he knew that and was trying to keep my mind off of it.

_All because he can try and take my mind off of it doesn't mean it didn't happem._

I dragged my feet as I looked around the park with Luke in front of me, holding my left hand. My mind was in other places, as you can imagine. I wasn't looking at anything, or at least I couldn't find anything interesting. It was hard to tell. I saw all the dances defore. Some new faces, some old .. but the same dances. Couldn't someone be individual and create their own to show everyone? New flavor, New something... Anything. I wasm't looking at anything but when I stepped out of my trance and stopped staring into space, something actually did catch my eye.

I tapped Luke's forarm with the hand that he wasn't holding and when I had his attention, I pointed to the area. My eyes caught his aware and alit ones, and I knew he saw as well of what caught my attention in the first place. He, still holding my hand, led the way as we cautiously made our way over.

Over to the far right, away from the crowds, there were three little girls by themselves that weren't related. One of them, the oldest that looked about ten was dancing like she had no bones at all, was wearing a dark gree tank top, dark blue jeans and black sneakers. She skin had a cream color to it, green eyes and black hair that was pulled up into a bun.

The next had to be about eight, was break dancing and had on a white shirt with black skinny jeans and white shoes. She had brown hair that was in a low pony tail.

The last and final one was what caught Natalie's eye though. She was wearinf a simple black shirt, simple black shoes and dark blue jeans, had to be about six and a half almost seven and she _just moved. She_ was talented enough to dance moves that takes a grown person at least a few months, maybe even more to do, and the energy to keep it up for as long as she wanted. She also had dark brown long wavy hair, olive skin, and the most beautiful aquamarine eyes that Natalie had ever seen. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luke pull out his video camera that he always carries and tired unsuccessfully to hide a fond smile. Not noticing Luke or Natalie, the three continued their conversation.

"It's almost Valentine's day!" The second oldest out of the trio yelled out loud in excitement as the youngest girl did a back flip and a twist in mid air, landing gracefully on her feet and making Luke and Natalie's jaws drop.

Camera still filming them, the littlest girl turned to her, "Angelina ... What's that?"

That made the jaws drop ever more, this little girl didn't know what Valentine's Day was?

_Didn't parents teach kids that early? Mine did. What's wrong with people nowadays?_

"Oh, forgot. Miss-What's-Her-Face is so strict that you don't even celebrate any holidays at the orphanage. Sorry, Rosalina."

_Orphanage? _Luke and Natalie shared a look. ...Poor Rosalina.

The first girl interrupted, "Angelina!"

But the girl, Angelina, went on and ignored her, "It's a day to show someone you care for them. Love them. And sorry about that Rosie."

Rosalina huffed cutely, "Well, I think that holiday is stupid. You two _are already in_ my heart, I dont need _a day to_ tell you that."

Luke and Natalie, as well as Angelina and the other girl, had to bite back smirks and try not to burst out laughing.

Rosalina sits down and takes out a disney book and starts to read it. Natalie can make out the word of the title as Aladdin on the front and had to bite her lip again to hold back a smile. She had always liked that one too. But it was sad to see her, soo young reading all by herself. ... It seemed soo _wrong._

"Aladdin again, Rosie?" The first girl said with a bright smile.

Rosalina turned to her, "Don't you know, Selena? Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella are all gonna be pretty ticked off when they find out _all three of them are_ married to Prince Charming." They all snickered. The two other children downing out the noise of the adults. "And," She continued, very serious and ignoring it all, "I want no part of that when it finally "does "backfire on him.." the snickers turned into chuckles really quickly and Luke and Natalie exchanged an amused look. This girl was comiclal.

Before Selena or Angelina could say anything more, the clocktower acrossed the street began to ding and didn't stop until it did it four times. The thing that confused Luke and Natalie was that Rosalina sprung into action. She put her book in the rd and black checkered bookbag that they didn't see until she grabbed for it, saying goodbye to her friends, who were going hone to their mothers anyway, and ran.

She was too fast, too quick and knocked right into Luke, falling down faster than he could catch her. Her tried to reach for her and help her up but her posture quickly stiffened.

Natalie caught Luke's eyes and could tell they were thinking the same thing. _Stiffened like she was abused._

"Hey," Luke's comforting voice made Natalie smile, "Watch where you're going, okay?"

The child looked up at him startled and confused, as if the comfort was foreign to her. She looked at Natalie with the same expression.

"T - Thank you." Her voice was confused, and Natalie thought it would be weird as well if she were her age and strangers came up to her in such a way but there was something different about the girl. And Natalie wasn't sure if she liked it .. something was off. She never met an abused child. She may have had "parents "but it was her "brother "who practically raised her.

Luke helped her up and caught the site of a big bruise on her left arm as her sleeve shifted lightly at the movement.

Who, in there right mind, would harm a child? A little girl who couldn't even fight back? He felt angry and disgust.

"Thank.. You." Rosalina said before running off as fast as she could.

"Strange..." Natalie said to him looking at her back, "Luke, there was something _definitely _off."

"I know ... I felt it too. How she stiffened, stuttered when she was nervous and not to mention that she had a big bruise on her arm that was covered by her shirt? It's all the signs."

Luke and Natalie looked at each other and said the one word that confirmed the fears they had of the sweet, carefree little girl, "Abuse."

They were both thinking the same thing, though Natalie was the one that said it, "Luke, come on. We can't let her walk the streets of Manhattan alone..." That was another thing that bothered her.

They stayed far enough where she couldn't see that they were following her yet close enough to where if anything happened they'd be there.

They saw her finally go up the brick steps to what looked like a normal big bouse but before she could knock on the door, it opened. A strict pale woman with dark brown hair up in a tight bun appeared at the door. She wore a hideous dark green outfit that did nothing for her figure, pointed black shoes, deep red lips, Glasses and wild brown eyes.

"Rosalina." She spat out at the little girl, "I said to be back by Four on the dot or don't come back at all. Do you want to be put in the cellar again with no meals?"

A horrified Rosalina shook her head no fearfully and quickly. Luke and Natalie's disgust with the woman, no hag, grew with each passing second.

"Let me guess," She spat again at the child angrily, "You were at the park_ dancing _again_?"_

Natalie buried her head in Luke's chest as she flinched at the angry woman who was in the child's face, not seeing that Luke was recording it since seeing Rosalina with her friends at the park.

"You think you can dance? You are nothing!" The woman screeched, making the girl flinch hard, "And I believe that I asked you a** question."**

"Y-yes Mrs. Anderson."

"Do you know what time it is? It is," She paused to look at the thick watch on her wrist, "4:30. A whole half an hour passed the time you were supposed to be here. No meals for you tonight. I don't understand. You're the only one of all the others that disobey my simple rules. You won't win. The others have accepted it, it's you that has to learn the hard way. ..And you shall."

Natalie pulled her head from where it was buried in Luke's chest and stared hatefully at the woman just in time to see her drag Rosalina inside the normal looking house by gripping the child angrily by the neck hard.

She couldn't be serious? Half an Hour? It took fifteen to get here and another fifteen for her hateful little speech!

She looked at Luke. Luke saw that she had hate, disgust, sympathy and challenge in her dark brown orbs and he knew that that his mirrored it.

There was an unspoken statement that passed between that two as they reluctantly went home to talk with the others, but not before getting the address of the "orphanage". If orphanages were all like this one, then Natalie pitied all the children.

Luke, no matter what's necessary we have to get her out ... and I want to adopt **her.**

**Like it? Hate it? I want your opinion, please? :)**


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